1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to archery and, more specifically, to a bow drawlock device and, most specifically, to a bow drawlock device with simultaneous lock release and fire.
2. Background Information
The sport of archery requires the archer to exert a relatively large force during bowstring pull back to draw the bow to a fully tensioned condition for firing an arrow. This is especially true of compound bows where the bowstring circumscribes eccentric wheels rotatably mounted on the ends of the bow's limbs and a large force must be applied by the archer's arms during the initial stages of string pull back. Consequently, even after firing just a few shots, muscles fatigue and cramping in the archer's arms and shoulders are often experienced, which leads to inaccuracy and prevents the archer from performing extensive target practice.
Archers and bow hunters have used drawlocks of various types for many years, including the locking mechanisms on centuries-old crossbows. For upright bows, including compound bows, a drawlock has generally been either a fixed rod along which the bowstring is drawn or a moveable rod drawn along with the bowstring. Both types use some sort of latch mechanism to lock the bowstring at full draw and a release mechanism to release the bowstring and propel the arrow. The term “full-draw” is used to mean the aimed draw position for a bow properly matched to the archer, rather than an absolute maximum draw.
Some examples of inventions concerned with bowstring drawlocks and releases for which patents have been granted are found in the following. Bryant, U.S. Pat. No. 4,294,221; Jennie, U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,436; Nishioka, U.S. Pat. No. 4,471,747; Rathbun, U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,326; Wagner, U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,039; Slayton, U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,154; Brooks, U.S. Pat. No. 5,002,035; Kluver, U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,730; Beaton, U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,309; Larson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,146,908; Baeseman, U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,705; Goff et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,671,723; and Goff et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,944,004.
None of these patents provide a drawlock system with simultaneous lock release and fire. Consequently, applicant has invented a drawlock device with simultaneous bowstring lock release and firing of an arrow. The drawlock device of the present invention functions in alignment with the arrow's path. In addition, the drawlock device is adjustable to fit different sized bows, and provides a secondary draw in which the lock releases simultaneously with the firing of the arrow.